One Too Many
by the real vampire
Summary: Conner has a problem. Quite a few actually and has found a way to deal with them. But it puts the whole ranger team in danger, causing Dr. O to make a dramatic decision. As Conner’s life goes from bad to worse, he can’t see any way of making it better.
1. A Bad Day

Hey everyone, I'm back! I promised a new story while my exams were on so here it is! I'm afraid it's not a cheerful one (yeah, I know it should be). Where do I get my ideas from I wonder...? Ah well, I've been told if I fail my exams I have to join the army so if I'm not posting regularly you can guess why! Never mind, enough of my rambling! On with the opening chapter...

(I've rated it PG13 for swearing in later chapters.)

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**A Bad Day**

"How dare you say that? You're the one that's never at home. I give up, honestly."

"_You_ give up? You did that years ago. You might as well go fu…"

A door slammed. Conner sat up in his room, trying to block out the sounds of his parents arguing. They'd been at it since Eric left, but during the past few weeks it had got steadily worse. Now all they did was argue. It was unbearable – almost. Conner took a swig from the bottle of vodka he'd taken from the kitchen. They wouldn't notice; his mum assumed it was his father that was drinking all the alcohol. Showed how much his parents cared. It was his only escape from the rows.

His parents both worked from nine in the morning 'til quite late in the afternoon, sometimes not getting in until eight pm, and when they did see each other all they did was argue. Conner was forgotten – the only time they had talked to him this week was to tell him off for leaving his muddy soccer boots lying in the hall. His friends hadn't noticed anything different – despite appearances Conner was a good actor. He sighed, turned his tv up and lost himself to an alcoholic haze.

The next morning Conner had a hangover, but he was used to waking up feeling sick and with a huge headache so he just got on with his life – or tried to. It seemed he couldn't do some of the simplest things now with out having to have a drink of some form of alcohol. It was taking over his life. He knew he had a problem, but who was there for him to talk to? His parents were too busy arguing with each other, his normal friends wouldn't understand and Ethan, Kira and Dr. O… well they had bigger things to think about.

School wasn't going well either. Because of his ranger duties, soccer practice and unhappy home life he had got behind on his work. He hadn't done any homework for at least two weeks, and while Dr. O showed some sympathy, the other teachers were not quite so understanding. After a day of getting yelled at by various teachers and his soccer coach, Conner was ready to go home and get completely slaughtered. Then the day managed to get even worse. He arrived home to find both his parents in, something that rarely happened. He went inside to hear them arguing again. Shaking his head, he went to the cupboard and grabbed a full bottle of vodka. He was heading to his room when he heard something that made him stop.

"Fine," his father, David, yelled, "I'll speak to my lawyers in the morning then."

"And I'll speak to mine!" Lisa yelled back, "With any luck we can be divorced in time for Christmas, just what the boys' need."

"Conner…" his dad caught sight of him at the door with the look of horror on his face, but Conner didn't wait for them say anymore. He'd heard all he needed to.

"Conner," his mum banged on his locked bedroom door, "Conner honey, we didn't mean for you to hear that. Why don't you open the door and we can talk about it."

"No way," Conner yelled back, "I don't want to hear anything either of you has to say. You can both go to hell for all I care. Leave me alone."

"Now look what you've done," Lisa turned on David.

"Me? Oh, so now it's all my fault…"

Conner sat on the floor in his room with his back to the door and turned his stereo up loud to block out the raging argument. He unscrewed the top of the bottle and took a gulp. He'd downed most of the bottle and was sitting in a warm alcoholic glow when his morpher beeped. One of Mezagog's monsters had appeared to terrorise Earth once again.

Conner groaned – this day just kept on getting better…


	2. Fights and a Decision

Heya, sorry it took me so long to get this chapter up. Have finally got my USB working on my grandad's computer so I can update! Thank you so much for all your brilliant reviews! Hope you like this chapter. This one has swearing, just thought I'd give you the heads up! Enjoy and please tell me what you think!

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**Fights and a Decision**

Conner stood up unsteadily and, on his second attempt, managed to morph – he fell over the first time.

He arrived to where the fight was taking place to find the others already morphed and engaged in battle.

"Conner, glad you could make it," Ethan said, "Now get your ass over here and help."

Moving a little unsteadily, Conner joined in the fight.

"Are you ok?" Kira asked as he was thrown to the floor for the fifth time.

He got up, swaying. "I'll be ok, just a little dizzy," he lied.

Once all the tryrannodrones had been destroyed, it was time to take on the monster that had been keeping a low profile.

Dr. O was trying to form a co-ordinated attack, but Conner wasn't listening. He rushed straight in to give a few feeble blows before being sent head over heels to the floor. It was Kira's quick thinking that saved his life. She pushed the monster back with her ptera-scream, giving Conner a chance to roll out of the way.

He jumped up without looking and ran into Ethan and Trent, causing them all to fall in a tangled heap. Again it was only Kira's quick thinking that saved them. As the three of them picked themselves up, Kira and Dr. O tackled the monster. Trent and Ethan soon joined in the fight, but a wave of nausea passed over Conner and his head spun sickly. He sat down quickly and watched through blurry eyes the unfolding fight. The monster had the upper hand; that was clear.

"Conner get your ass over here," Ethan yelled over his shoulder at the red ranger. "Now is not the time to be sitting down."

With a groan Conner got up and reluctantly joined back into the fight.

"Ok, let's put our weapons together and blast this thing into oblivion," Kira yelled, getting annoyed with their lack of impact on the monster.

The others agreed and soon their weapons had been put together and were ready to fire. Conner pulled the trigger and a bolt of energy hit the monster full on. It exploded in a shower of sparks and miraculously did not grow. Mezagog had obviously had enough for one day.

They demorphed and made their way back to Dino Lab. Once there, Dr. O turned on the drunken jock. "Conner what the hell were you playing at out there?"

It was all Conner could do to keep upright. "I… uh." He couldn't form the words.

Hayley gave him a sharp look, "Have you been drinking Conner?"

He tried to shake his head but ended up swaying unsteadily. " 'm not really drunk," he muttered.

"How much?" Dr. O demanded. Kira, Ethan and Trent just stared at their teammate. In all the time they had known Conner, they had never seen him drunk. It wasn't like him.

Conner squinted at Dr. O, "Not sure, mebbe a… bottle."

"A bottle? Of what?"

"Vodka, I think."

"You think?" Dr. O's voice was rising as he got angry. "Conner, you're a power ranger. You risked the whole team today. Why?"

Conner shrugged, "It seemed like the right thing to do at the time. Anyway," he began to grin, "We kicked that monster's butt so what's the problem?"

"The problem? The problem is that you could have been seriously hurt or even killed. The problem is that you could have caused one of us, your teammates to be killed. And the problem is that you don't seem to realise how serious your actions are." Dr. O was yelling now. "I thought you'd grown up since the start of term, but obviously I was mistaken. You really are a stupid, selfish jock aren't you?"

"Well at least I'm not a sad old teacher who hasn't got any further in his life since he was at school," Conner yelled back. "I mean, how old are you now? And what have you actually done with your life? Fuck all, that's what. How dare you speak to me like that when you are no better?"

The others were shocked; they'd never heard Conner swear before, not even on the soccer pitch.

"Conner, that's enough," Ethan said, stepping in front of him. From the looks of anger on the two men's faces, one of them was going to get hurt very soon. And the betting was that it _wasn't_ going to be Dr. O.

"I have done a lot more with my life than you are ever going to." Dr. O said, strangely calm. "I was wrong about you, Conner. I thought you could be a good leader and a better ranger, but clearly I was mistaken. You are not up to leading this team and you have abused your position of responsibility. You are irresponsible, immature and not fit to be a ranger. Now hand over your morpher."

"What?" Conner gasped and took a step back.

"You heard me. You are no longer fit to be a ranger, so you will no longer _be_ a ranger. Hand over your morpher."

Conner glanced at the other rangers. They all avoided his eyes; he wasn't going to get any help from them. "Fine," he said quietly, holding back the lump in his throat. He pulled off his morpher, gave it one last look before pushing it into Dr. O's waiting hands. "I'm through with you, with all of you," he whispered, trying to keep the break out of his voice. Conner turned and walked out of Dino Lab without looking back. He left behind him an uneasy silence.

He got home and went straight to the kitchen cupboard, wiping away the tears that he couldn't hold back.

"Conner is that you?" his dad asked, walking into the kitchen. Conner hid the bottle behind his back, but his dad had already seen it. "What's the matter?" David asked, dragging his eyes away from the concealed alcohol to Conner's tear-stained face.

"Nothing." Conner said, making for the door.

"Come on son, something's up."

"I said nothing, just leave me alone. I don't want to hear anything you or mum has to say anymore. I hate you both so just leave me alone." With those words he ran up to his room and slammed his door shut.


	3. Morning After the Night Before

Hey everyone, I'm here with the next chapter. Have finally finished my exams but no rest for the wicked - I have to be back at school on the 15th! Am currently typing left-handed (am normally right) cos my hand is dead - I challenge anyone to write 2 essays in an hour on the Bolsheviks after doing an hour-and-a-half paper on the rise of Hitler! Am going to stop here as this is taking forever! Enjoy Chapter 3! And don't forget to review!

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**Morning After the Night Before **

Conner woke up the next morning with a huge hangover and an even bigger headache. He felt as if he had pins and needles in his brain, stabbing in every time he moved. He managed to get out of bed and dragged himself into a hot shower. As his headache eased off, he noticed that his morpher, which he wore disguised as a silver bracelet with the red gem in the centre, was missing. Where the hell was it? He searched his room but couldn't find it. It would just have to wait until he got home from school; he was going to be late if he didn't leave now. Conner hoped that Kira or Ethan might be able to help him. Last night seemed like a blur; he felt that he was forgetting something, something important that he should know, but it was all a foggy haze at the moment. Dr. O was going to be very annoyed at him if he'd lost it.

Conner dropped into his chair next to Ethan and Kira. He didn't notice the look that passed between them.

It was Ethan that spoke first, "I'm surprised you showed." He said it lightly but it was clear he wanted a deeper answer.

Conner winced and put a hand to his head, "Not so loud dude. I have a massive headache." Kira and Ethan exchanged glances again, which Conner failed to notice, again, "You wouldn't know where I put my morpher would you – otherwise Dr. O's gonna kill me," he said to them. He was a little worried now that he couldn't remember where it was. It was very rare that he took it off.

They both stared at him. "You don't remember yesterday?" Kira asked.

"Remember what?" Conner asked. It must be serious, judging by the looks on their faces.

"You don't remember fighting…" Kira lowered her voice, "Mezagog's monster?"

"Oh, that. Yeah. We really kicked his ass," Conner said, a grin spreading on his face. "But dudes, that doesn't explain where my morpher is."

Kira's face hardened. "You were drunk, Conner. You put the whole team in danger. I don't suppose you remember _that_, do you?"

Bits started to come back, the fight, Dr. O, having to hand over his morpher, "Oh gods," Conner groaned. "Did I really do that?"

"Yes," Kira replied shortly.

"Oh gods," Conner repeated, "Dr. O must be really mad at me, right?"

"It's not just Dr. O." Kira said. "You let us down too, Conner."

Suddenly Conner needed a drink, real bad. He grabbed his bag, "I'm just going to the toilet. Tell Dr. O; tell Dr. O I'm sorry." He hurried out.

"I'll go talk to him," Ethan said, but just then Dr. Oliver walked into the classroom and the lesson started.

Conner didn't reappear at all. At the end of the lesson, Ethan went to find him in the boys' toilets.

"Conner?" he called, hoping that no one else would walk in. He and Conner needed to have a serious talk. A giggle came from one of the cubicles. Ethan walked across to it and pushed the unlocked door open. Conner grinned at him, a half-empty vodka bottle clutched in one hand.

"What the hell do you think you are doing?" Ethan asked, shocked.

Conner shrugged his shoulders and just smiled at him.

"Are you drunk?"

Conner stood up, swaying slightly. "No," he said, and then giggled as he almost fell over. He grabbed Ethan to stop himself falling and whispered in his ear, "Shhh, maybe I am a little." He giggled again. Ethan pushed him away in horror.

"What is your problem, McKnight?" When Conner didn't answer, Ethan stormed out, past the waiting Kira.

"He's drunk again," he muttered to her as he walked off. "You talk to him; I've had it."

Conner came out, managing to walk upright but still swaying slightly.

Kira stared at him, disgust apparent on her face.

"Hey babe…" Conner said to her with a grin.

That was the last straw for Kira. "Don't speak to me again until you've grown up." she said, her voice low but with barely controlled anger, "Think of the consequences of your actions – you ask me to trust you, you asked all of us to trust you when you picked up that gem, but how can I when all you are is a stupid, self-centred jock? Dr. O was right, you are irresponsible, immature and, worst of all, you don't give a damn about us, your teammates. Goodbye and good riddance, Conner." With those words hanging in the air, she walked off. Conner just stared after her…


	4. Suspended

Hey everyone, I'm back with the next installment – and I've hit a problem. My school computer has blocked me from uploading it. Whether that will apply to all chapters I don't know, we're going to have to wait and see on that one. So everyone say a massive 'thank-you' to Claire, my lifesaver, who has uploaded this for me! Thanks!

To everyone who's reviewed, thank you. It means a lot to me! I love hearing feedback so enjoy the next chapter…

**Suspended**

Conner was furious with himself, the part of him that was still sober that was. _You've really messed it up now, McKnight _he thought, _you haven't got a chance in hell with her after that display_. Pain at that thought ripped through him. A few weeks ago he had come to realise that he didn't just like Kira anymore, he loved her. He'd been trying his best to impress her, but in a couple of days all his hard work had been torn to pieces.

"Hey McKnight!" a voice called from down the corridor. It was Derrick, one of his soccer team-mates.

Conner forced his eyes to focus, "Hey dude," he greeted him.

"What's happening with that singer chick then?" Derrick asked as he reached him.

"Nothing," Conner muttered.

"Nothing? Didn't look like nothing from here." He shot a look at his teammate, "She resisting the McKnight charm then?"

Conner stared at him, "What are you on about?"

"Oh come on!" Derrick said with a laugh, "The whole team's noticed it. You're always hanging around with her and that computer-nerd lately. What's up?" A serious tone crept into his voice, "Your friends not good enough for you anymore?"

"Don't be stupid," Conner said, making to walk away but Derrick blocked his path with an arm.

"Hey, I'm just asking alright?" He shook his head and looked over his shoulder to check no one was in earshot, "Between you and me, mate, I wouldn't mind rocking with that chick for a night, y'know?" he added with a leering smirk. "Man, she sure hits the right notes if you get my meaning."

"Don't talk about her like that," Conner said, feeling uncomfortable.

"Hey man, I'm only saying how I feel. I could dance to her tune all night."

Anger, fuelled by the vodka, flooded through Conner. He grabbed Derrick by the collar and spun him into the wall. "I said, don't talk about Kira like that," he hissed at him.

"Whoa, dude. Sure, no offence." Conner released him and began to walk away. Derrick ran after him out into the playground.

"What is your problem?" he asked him.

"Just leave it." Conner said, but Derrick wouldn't leave it.

"Come on, do you _like_ her or something?" Conner kept walking. Derrick grinned, "Conner McKnight and Kira Ford," he yelled after him.

Conner stopped; people began to whisper and laugh. That was the last straw for him. He turned back and walked over to where Derrick was smirking. "Didn't I tell you to leave it?" he yelled, shoving Derrick back into a group of people.

"Hey, just 'cos you're hung up on a girl don't take your anger out on me, McKnight," Derrick shot back. He was met with a punch from Conner that caused him to fall back with a bloody nose. He got up and stared at Conner angrily. "Come on then," he yelled, bunching his fists.

It was all the invitation Conner needed. He threw himself into the fight with everything he had, including his dino powers. Derrick had no chance. It was Principle Randall that saved him.

"Stop that," she yelled as she approached. Derrick was more that willing to give up, but Conner couldn't hear. A red mist had rose in front of his eyes and all he could concentrate on was the fight.

"I said leave it," she grabbed Conner's arm, but he swung his other arm around and knocked her to the ground.

Dr. O and another male teacher ran in to separate them. Well, to hold Conner off Derrick.

"What the hell is going on here?" Principle Randall snapped, dusting her off.

"He's bloody mad, miss." Derrick said, "He just started having a go at me."

Randall turned to where Dr. O was trying to calm a struggling Conner.

"Mr McKnight, can you explain yourself."

Conner stopped struggling and stared at her, before starting to laugh. "No," he said, giggling.

"Are you drunk McKnight?" she asked. Dr. O let go of Conner's shoulders and stepped away from him, a shocked expression on his face.

Conner shrugged, "Probably," he said, still laughing, "I hope so."

She stared at him, her face unreadable. Then she pulled herself up straight and said, "I think you should go home, right now."

Conner pulled a face, "Aw, miss…"

"Go home and don't think about coming back to school until I say so." Randall interrupted. "You are hereby suspended until further notice. I shall inform your parents immediately."

"Not that they'll care," Conner muttered inaudibly.

"What was that?" she snapped at him.

"Nothing," he said, a grin on his face. The gathered crowd was silent as he grabbed his bag from where he had dropped it and walked out of the school. He could make out the faces of Kira and Ethan in the crowd. They were as silent and shocked-looking as everyone else. He tried to catch Kira's eye as he left, but she refused to look at him. Ethan scowled at him as he passed. Conner was no longer laughing as he began to drag himself home.

He finally reached his house to find that his parents were still out at work. Conner stood in the kitchen and pulled the vodka bottle out of his bag and took a swig. _They're gonna kill me_ was his first thought, the next was a bitter, _well, it'll give them something new to yell about_. Standing there in the empty kitchen, Conner was gripped by a sudden feeling of anger and threw the half empty bottle of vodka at the wall, where it smashed. Glass and drink scattered across the linoleum floor.

"Shit," he muttered. He stumbled across to it and tried to pick up the glass with his hands, but only succeeded in slicing his finger. Blood welled up in the cut and trickled down his hand.

_Just great_ he thought. This really wasn't his day; suspended from school, a cut finger, getting ready for a bollocking from his parents and the worst thing of all, he was no longer a power ranger and Kira hated him. That stung the most, especially what Dr. O and Kira had said. _Well, fuck them_. He knew he was as good as the rest of them. He'd show them, somehow. Not today though, to top it all his splitting headache was back. He swayed over to the cupboard where his mum kept the medicines and grabbed a bottle of paracetamol plus a new bottle of vodka to wash them down with and headed for his room…


	5. Discovery

Hey everyone, I back with Chapter 5 (and I had no problems uploading this time - stupid school computers!) Thanks for all your brillian reviews, quick shout-outs to... **fenestrae** - please don't cry! You'll have to read on to find out!**princess moon shadow** - glad you're liking it so far! **XRachX** - maybe things will be ok, or maybe they won't, you'll have to read on to find out! Hee, I like being evil! To everyone else, you know who you are - thanks! Here's chapter 5, hope you enjoy and don't forget to tell me what you think!

**Discovery**

"Conner!" His mum arrived home from work that evening. "Conner McKnight, get yourself down here right now!" she yelled up to him from the bottom of the stairs. There was no answer. Shaking her head she went into the kitchen to clear up the mess her son had left. Just as she finished clearing up the broken glass, David McKnight arrived home.

"Hey honey, what's up?" he asked, seeing the look on his wife's face.

"Not that you'd care," Lisa spat at her husband, "But your son has been suspended from school for drinking. I had Principle Randall on the phone to me at work to say he was drunk in school and fighting. She had to send him home."

David sighed, "Where is he?"

"God knows," she answered. "Probably nursing a hangover up in his room. I called up to him but he didn't answer."

"I'll go talk to him," his dad said and made his way up to Conner's room. He knocked on the door and tried the handle – it was locked. "Conner, open up," he said. There was no reply. "Conner, I'm not mad at you, I just want to talk. See if we can't sort this out, eh?" he tried again. There was silence from inside. David sighed in resignation, "Fine, be like that then. I'll leave you to sulk." He walked back downstairs and plonked himself in front of the tv.

"Well?" Conner's mum asked.

"He's locked himself in his room and is sulking. There's nothing more I can do. He'll come out when he's ready," David said, flicking to the soccer.

"That's it?" Lisa said in disbelief. "Your son has been suspended from school and all you can do is watch soccer?"

"My son?" David said, "He's yours too you know."

"Oh no," Lisa said quietly, "They've never really been my sons – you've seen to that. Eric left and Conner's… Conner's just like his father."

"How dare you…?" David began, but before the argument could gain momentum the doorbell rang.

"I'll get that shall I, while you just sit on your arse," Lisa said sarcastically, and before David could answer she went to open the door. "Yes?" she said to the man and young woman who were standing outside.

"Hi Mrs McKnight, I'm Dr. Oliver, one of Conner's teachers. Could I have a word please?"

"Is this about Conner's behaviour at school today?"

Tommy hesitated, "Yes."

"You'd better come in then," she turned to the young woman, "Kira, how are you dear?"

"I'm fine Mrs K. I thought I'd come and see Conner. How is he?"

A dark look past across Lisa's face, "You can try to see him, but he's locked himself in his room and won't speak to us. I have no idea how he is."

"He'll open his door for me," Kira said with certainty.

"As I said, you can try dear. Come in, both of you."

As they followed Mrs McKnight into the house Dr. O whispered to Kira, "Be nice."

"I will if he is prepared to listen. If he's gonna be a stubborn jock then he's gonna get his ass kicked." Kira made her way up to Conner's room while Dr. O followed Lisa into the living room.

"Conner," Kira banged on his door. "Conner, open up. It's me, Kira." Conner didn't answer. "Conner I know you think I'm just gonna yell at you, and you're probably right, but we need to talk. Right now! So open this door." She waited for a reply that didn't come, then she said in a lower voice so the adults downstairs wouldn't hear, "Conner McKnight, if you don't open this door right now then I'm gonna do it myself. I mean it." The door remained locked. "Fine," Kira said, "You asked for it."

The three of them – Conner, Ethan and Kira – had spent the last few weeks exploring the range of their dino powers. Kira had discovered that if she pitched her 'special' voice at just the right level she could undo locks. She did this now, praying that Conner's parents didn't hear it otherwise there might be awkward questions, and smiled with satisfaction as she heard his lock click open. She turned the handle and pushed the door open. The room was dark, almost pitch back as it was evening and his curtains were already shut.

"Conner?" Kira whispered. There was no reply. She walked a little way into the room, her foot clinking against an empty bottle. "Are you even in here?" she asked, finding the light. She turned to look for Conner and screamed…


	6. Emergency Room

Hey everyone, I'm here again with the update! Thanks for all the reviews. Quick shoutouts: **Wild Force Ranger** - loved your terminology 'accidental suicide', made me laugh! You'll have to read on and see! **fenestrae** - I know I'm mean, I told you I was evil! But please don't cry, you'll make me feel bad! **Jnr Cpl Scarlett** - Yup, I know how to scare people :D **XRachX** - I'm evil... bite me! End of the story? Hope you meant chapter 'cos it isn't over just yet! And to everyone else, thank you soooo much for you reviews, mean a lot to me!

Here's chapter 6. As always, read, enjoy and review!

Ps. Must thank my X-Men comic for help with the ER scene! Hee hee!

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**Emergency Room **

Conner hadn't really meant to take all the pills, but he'd just wanted to get rid of his headache. One pill didn't seem to have any effect, neither did two. Before he knew it, the whole bottle of pills was gone, as was the vodka. He started to feel weird, sort of floaty, and then, as he was making his was to the door with the empty pill bottle still clutched in his hand, his legs collapsed from under him. Barely conscious, he was violently sick. Before he lost all sense he managed to roll himself onto his back, away from the mess, and that was how Kira found him.

Her screams brought Dr. O and the McKnights running.

"Kira what is… oh my god," Tommy said, seeing Conner unconscious on the floor.

Conner's parents stared in horror at their son. Tommy, seeing the frozen looks on their faces, took charge.

"Someone call an ambulance," he said in a commanding voice as he knelt down beside Conner. David went out to the phone, both him and his wife were numb with shock.

"Conner can you hear me?" Tommy shook Conner gently, but there was no response. He tilted Conner's head back slightly to open his airway and bent his ear over Conner's mouth to see if he was breathing. He gave a sigh of relief, "He's breathing," he told Kira, who was still standing staring at him. "Kira, snap out of it." Tommy's voice was sharp but it worked. "I need your help; we've got to get him into the recovery position."

Kira nodded and between the two of them, moving gently so as not to hurt him, they got Conner onto his side into the recovery position that is taught by first-aiders worldwide. The ambulance arrived in what felt like ten hours but was really only ten minutes. Paramedics took control of the situation and soon Conner was speeding off to hospital with his parents and Tommy and Kira following in Tommy's car.

"What the hell happened?" the doctor asked them as Conner was wheeled into ER.

"We found him unconscious in his room with an empty bottle of vodka and these..," Tommy said, handing him the bottle of paracetamol.

The doctor shook his head, "Ok people we've got an overdose case here, I'll need some saline and an I-V line put in. How's he doing?"

"His pressure's crashing, pulse is thready and respiration's intermittent," another doctor said hurriedly.

"Start CPR," the first doctor ordered. A nurse began giving Conner chest compressions. "Get an ambu-bag in here now!" Another nurse put an ambu-bag over Conner's mouth and nose and began squeezing it in time to the compressions.

"His pupils are dilating – he's going into v-tach," a doctor shouted.

"Get me a lidocaine drip in here and keep adding that saline. Ok, charging 200 Joules, getting ready to defib, everybody clear...!"

"I'm sorry you're going to have to wait outside," a nurse ushered the four people out.

"Conner..," his mum tried to turn back, almost hysterical, but David and Tommy firmly escorted her out.

"Come on Lisa, there's nothing we can do."

"The doctor's are doing all they can. We'll just be in the way, Mrs K," Kira tried to reassure her even as tears ran down her own cheeks. "Conner's a fighter – he'll pull through."

As David tried to comfort his wife, Tommy pulled Kira aside.

"What is it Dr. O?" she asked.

"Are you ok?" he asked, worried.

She sniffed, "I'm fine. I just can't believe that Conner would try to… try to kill himself." Her voice broke.

Tommy shook his head, "Me neither. I think the situation here was worst than I thought, worse than we could have imagined. Maybe if I hadn't been so harsh…"

"You can't blame yourself Dr. O. Conner was out of line – you did the right thing. We just didn't notice how bad things were for him. All the clues were there; drinking, mood swings… I suppose we should have known, but we didn't." Kira said, trying to hold back her tears.

"You don't have to stay. You can go home; I'll call you if there's any news."

"No, I want to stay. Conner's my friend, as well as team-mate. I owe it to him to stay." Kira insisted.

Just then a doctor made his way over to where they sat.

"How is he?" Lisa jumped up.

"We've managed to stabilize him but he's still in a critical condition. He's on a ventilator to help him breathe, but the longer he remains on it the less chance there is of him coming off it again," the doctor sighed, "I have to be honest with you; his chances of survival at this moment are slim."

Lisa gave a sob and turned to clutch at her husband.

"Can we see him?" Kira asked in a small voice.

"He's just been moved into the intensive care ward so I don't see why not. I'll get a nurse to show you the way."

Very soon they were shown into the room Conner had been given. He lay on the bed covered up to his chest with a white sheet. Machines surrounded him – the wheeze of the ventilator was mixed in with various beeps from other pieces of equipment monitoring his heart rate. A number of drips lead into his arms and there were plastic tubes in his nose leading down his throat to his lungs to keep him breathing. Wires were everywhere – it was a scary sight.

Conner himself looked very peaceful, but his skin was almost as white as the sheet, devoid of colour, and his hands were like ice. Tommy and Kira stayed a little way back, allowing his parents to see him. His mum sat down beside his bed and clutched at his hand, no longer bothering to wipe her tears away as she stared at her son.

"Oh Conner," she whispered.

Tommy's morpher gave a beep. Excusing himself, he went outside and found a deserted place. "What is it?" he asked.

"Where the hell are you Tommy?" Hayley sounded pissed off. "We were supposed to meet at the Dino Lab over an hour ago to go over the new computer system."

"I'm sorry Hayley, something came up. I'm at the hospital right now with Kira."

"Hospital? What the…"

"It's a long story. Get Ethan and Trent over there and we'll meet you in ten minutes."

Tommy walked back to Conner's room. "Kira, we've got to go."

She nodded. As they turned to leave, David stopped them. "I just want to say thanks, for everything you did back there. If it wasn't for you two… Conner might not have made it this far."

"It's not a problem." Tommy began, but there was something clearly on David's mind.

"It's all our fault you see. Conner's probably told you we've been arguing like mad lately and yesterday afternoon he overheard me say to Lisa I wanted a divorce. We sorted it out but later I found an empty bottle in his room. I knew he was drinking – I suppose I should have confronted him sooner, but well, I've never been any good at that sort of thing. I always left it to Lisa."

"And I've been taking my anger out on him as well. I just haven't had time for him, what with work and Eric being away, but I guess he's told you guys all this." Lisa sobbed from Conner's bedside.

"No," Kira said quietly, "Conner hasn't said anything. We had no idea."

"He came back in last night upset about something." David continued; Tommy started guiltily. "I think he drank some more, and then he was suspended from school today…" David sighed, "I just don't want you guys to blame yourselves about this; it isn't your fault. I'm not trying to excuse his behaviour – he was out of line at school. I'm just trying to explain it a bit I guess."

"It's ok." Tommy said, "We understand. But I suppose we should have all known something wasn't right. Anyway, it's too late now. What's done is done. All we can do now is wait and hope Conner pulls through. Me and Kira have to go now, school stuff." He took a last look at Conner.

"If there's any change, I'll phone." David reassured them.

"Thanks." Tommy and Kira left the hospital and headed for the Dino Lab, they had to break the news to the others…


	7. Breaking Bad News

Hey everyone. Too tired to do shout outs, sorry, just got back from an exhausting3-day visit to universities and am shattered! Thanks for all your lovely reviews and here's chapter 7. Read, review and as always, enjoy!

* * *

**Breaking Bad News **

By the time Kira and Tommy reached Dino Lab, Hayley, Trent and Ethan were waiting.

"What's up Dr. O?" Ethan asked, "Hayley said you were with Kira at the hospital?"

"Are you ok Kira?" Trent asked, concern on his face.

"I'm fine," she assured them, "But Conner…" An image of him surrounded by all those machines rose up in her mind and she broke down in tears.

"What's he done now?" Ethan asked in a resigned and bitter tone. "Got so drunk he fell over?" he sniggered.

Kira was in front of him in a split second, her eyes blazing, "How dare you?" she yelled at him through her tears, "Conner might _die_ and all you can do is laugh. I hate you! I…"

"Kira that is enough." Tommy said stepping in. "Go outside and calm down."

"But Dr. O…"

"No, now!"

Kira spun around and walked out.

"What's this about Conner?" Hayley asked, guessing that something serious had happened.

"Conner's in hospital right now in intensive care. The doctors say his chances of survival are slim."

"Was it some sort of accident?" Hayley began.

"No, it wasn't an accident." Tommy said quietly.

"You mean Mesogog did something to him?" Ethan said quickly, "Like, he ran into some tyrannodrones on the way home and…"

"I don't think that's what Dr. O's trying to say." Trent said softly, cutting him off.

"It wasn't anything to do with Mesogog," Tommy took a deep breath, "Conner's in hospital because he took a cocktail of paracetamol and vodka. Kira found him unconscious in his room. It wasn't accidental – Conner did it on purpose."

There was silence, the three of them just staring at Tommy in shock.

"How, how is he?" Ethan asked, his voice barely audible.

"They managed to resuscitate him but he's on a ventilator. It's not looking good.

* * *

Meanwhile, outside in the dim light given off by the entrance to the Dino Lab, Kira was trying to calm herself down. The sight of Conner just lying there – he'd looked so helpless. A feeling of guilt washed over her. The last words she'd said to him rang in her ears: _Don't speak to me again until you've grown up. Think of the consequences of your actions – you ask me to trust you, you asked all of us to trust you when you picked up that gem, but how can I when all you are is a stupid, self-centred jock? Dr. O was right, you are irresponsible, immature and worst of all, you don't give a damn about us, your team-mates. Goodbye and good riddance, Conner. _

Had she really said that to him? But he'd made her so angry; she should have known that it wasn't like him. Angrily she threw a stick against a tree, unbeknown to her a copy of what Conner had done only a few hours ago with the vodka bottle. _You can't blame yourself Kira_ she thought _Conner is as much to blame as anyone. He should have talked to you…_ She sighed.

Finally calm she made her way back inside, where the other three were still reeling from the news they had just heard. Without a word Trent went up her and put his arms around her. She just stood there and let him hold her.

It was Tommy that broke the silence. "This is my fault," he said, sinking down against a wall. "I should have known something wasn't right – I should have known by now that Conner's not like that; it wasn't _him_ last night, or at school today. I should have talked to him and given him the chance to explain. Instead I went off on one, shouting and calling him 'irresponsible' – I didn't give him the chance to say why. More than anyone else I should have realised. Look at _my_ past."

"'Shoulda woulda coulda are the last words of a fool'" Kira quoted. "His parents have been arguing. Why couldn't he have just told us? We could have helped him. But then that's just like Conner, keep it all inside and then go and do something stupid." There was a trace of anger in her voice, but they knew it wasn't directed at Conner. "What's done is done. All we can do now is wait and hope he pulls through."

* * *

Kira was up early. She'd had a bad night, not being able to sleep as thoughts of Conner ran through her head. _Goodbye and good riddance, Conner_; the words haunted her. What if that's the last thing she ever got to say to him? It was unbearable. As she lay in bed, thinking this, she also remembered all the times Conner had been there for her. He always supported her and watched her back. He had saved her life more times that she could recall, and when he had needed her, she had turned her back on him and let him down. All she wanted was to see his smile again, to look into those big brown eyes of his, to hold him in her arms… Suddenly realization dawned, like a flaming candle in the dark. She _loved_ Conner! Kira Ford, wannabe rock star, had fallen in love with Conner McKnight, Reefside Highs soccer golden boy. It was almost unbelievable, but true. As soon as she was able to, Kira went to visit Conner in the hospital. His parent looked tired and drawn; they had sat by his bedside all night and seemed glad of the break.

Kira was left standing alone in Conner's room. She bit back her tears as she saw how pale and helpless he looked. She went and sat down next to him and clutched at his hand. _So cold_. There was no warmth there at all, and that scared her almost as much as all the beeping, hissing and wheezing machines.

"Hey Conner," she said to him softly. "I'm so sorry. I didn't mean what I said, I was angry at you but I would never have wanted you to do this." Tears coursed down her cheeks. "I want you to know, that I'm gonna be here for you, when you wake up. Everything's gonna be fine. Dr. O isn't mad at you, none of us are. We just want you back with us. _I_ want you back, because, because I love you. I never realized how much you meant to me until you weren't there anymore and I just want you to open your eyes and tell me I'm being silly. I couldn't bear to lose you, just open your eyes and tell me everything's going to be fine." But there was no response from Conner except the steady beep of his heart monitor and the wheeze of the ventilator. Kira stared at Conner's face, willing him to open his eyes, but he didn't. "Please baby, come back to me," she begged him, but there was no movement. Not even a twitch of a finger that might indicate that he had heard her. Kira lay her head down on the bed and cried.


	8. Truths

Hi everyone. I'm back again but I have some bad news so please don't kill me. I'm going home tomorrow and our internet probably won't working as we've just moved and then I'm going on holiday on Saturday so I'm not going to be able to update for a couple of weeks. I will do my best, as soon as I am able to put up the next chapter but please bear with me. Chapter 9 is almost ready for posting but needs some final adjustments. The chapter after that however is giving me difficulties so a break will allow me to focus on it!

Thank you all for your great reviews. Quick shout-outs go to: **LeosGurl876** - sneaky, very sneaky! I've updated now. Happy? **kEs-2717** - Thank you. **dancer1** - nice to have you back! **fenestrae** - aw, I agree, little kids are cute! **XRachX** - thank you. It means more to me than you know. And to everyone else, you know who you all are! I would write something personal but I am dying of suffocation in this computer room! And am tired - just done swimming gala at school and I came 2nd in the 100m race!

Thanks again and I hope you all like this chapter. I used some 'artistic license' in regards to Trent's parents as I couldn't remember how they were supposed to have died and this fitted in well! Here's chapter 8. As usual, read, enjoy and tell me what you think! All comments welcome!

* * *

**Truths**

Kira woke when a hand touched her shoulder.

"Conner?" she whispered, rubbing her eyes.

"I'm afraid not," a masculine voice said from behind her. She turned to see Trent standing there looking at Conner with a strange expression on his face.

"Are you ok?" they both asked at the same time.

"I'm fine," Kira reassured the serious young man. "How about you?"

"I'm good." The shake in his voice betrayed him.

"No you're not," Kira said firmly, "What's wrong?"

Trent glanced down at the floor. "It's just, seeing Conner like this, reminds me of my parents. I went to see them in hospital after their accident; they looked just like this, and they… they didn't make it. Conner's my friend, well, I hope he is. And I hate seeing him like this," he said quietly.

"Trent, I'm so sorry. I hate seeing him like this too," she said, getting up to hug him. They stood together for a few minutes, finding comfort in each other, then Trent held Kira a little way back from him.

"Kira…" he whispered.

"What?" she asked, looking up at him.

Suddenly he leant forward and kissed her. She froze for a second, before her mind registered what was happening. Kira put her hands on Trent's shoulders and pushed him away.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" she almost shrieked at him.

He stepped back, puzzled and shocked, "Kira, I thought… you and me…"

Kira stared at him, "Trent, I'm so sorry if I gave you the wrong idea but I don't love you." Her eyes darted to Conner's comatosed form.

Trent saw and understanding dawned on his face, "You love Conner." It wasn't a question.

Kira nodded, "I'm sorry," she repeated, "I like you Trent, but I didn't realise how much Conner meant to me until he was gone. And now I might never be able to tell him. He thinks I hate him – I just want to tell him I love him. I feel like I'm losing the man I love. Please Trent, I couldn't bear to lose your friendship as well." Sobs began to shake her body uncontrollably.

Trent put his arms around her as she cried, "Don't be silly," he comforted her, "You'll never lose my friendship. I will always be here for you if you need me. But if you love Conner, then I can live with that. And I've seen the way he looks at you anyway – I'm surprised you hadn't," he added.

Kira looked up into his dark eyes, "What do you mean?" she asked, her tears drying on her cheeks.

Trent smiled, "You're not very perceptive are you?"

Kira punched him on the arm, "What are you trying to say?"

"Conner loves you." Trent said simply.

That made Kira take a step back, "Wha…what!"

"I've seen the way he looks at you – his eyes never leave you. He adores you Kira. As I said, I'm surprised you hadn't noticed."

Kira was stunned, "I had no idea. Oh gods…" she trailed off as her words came back to haunt her, _"…all you are is a stupid, self-centred jock? Dr. O was right, you are irresponsible, immature and worst of all, you don't give a damn about us…"_ How wrong she had been.

"What is it?" Trent was looking at her curiously.

She swallowed, "I said some pretty harsh things to him at school yesterday. I knew they were bad, but if he really _does_ feel that way about me then they're worse than I thought. Will he ever forgive me?" She turned back to Conner's bedside. Tears began to flow anew. "I just want him to wake up, Trent. What if he doesn't? What if he dies and I never get to tell him that I'm sorry and I love him? What if…?"

"Stop that." Trent said roughly. "Conner's strong; he'll make it through this. _When_ he wakes up you can tell him how you feel. But right now you have to look after yourself." He looked at her pale face, "Come on, I'll buy you lunch. I don't suppose you had any breakfast?" Kira shook her head and Trent sighed, "Thought not. Come on, Hayley does some quite good food," he grinned, "I should know, I serve it!"

Kira gave him a weak smile and nodded, "I guess I am kinda hungry." She looked at Conner and kissed him on the forehead, "I'll be back soon 'babe'. Don't you dare die on me," she whispered to him and glanced at his face, hoping for any response to her words. But there was nothing. She closed her eyes briefly, holding back the tears that threatened to run down her cheeks. She straightened up and smiled at Trent, "Hayley's it is then."

With a last look at Conner she followed Trent out, shutting the door behind her.

In the silent room Conner's hand curled itself up…


	9. Wakening

Hey me again. Sorry this has taken so long to update. Holiday was hell but I loved Paris! We have no internet at home so thank goodness for SAAFA Libraries and their policy of free internet access! I don't know when I'm going to be able to update again - it might be another two weeks or more! I also have no credit on my mobile so to my friends that are reading this - I'm not ignoring you! Just can't contact anyone, I feel so isolated!

No shout-outs this week, limited time etc. Thanks for all your brill reviews.Enough from me - this is whatyou want, Chapter 9! Asusual, read, enjoy and review!

* * *

**Wakening**

Pain was the first thing Conner registered. Not a sharp pain, just a dull ache that seemed to consume his entire body. _Where was he?_ Memories began to drift back, _had he really been that stupid?_ The answer was clearly 'yes'. Voices started to penetrate his consciousness.

"I like you Trent, but I didn't realise how much Conner meant to me until he was gone. And now I might never be able to tell him. He thinks I hate him – I just want to tell him I love him."

_Kira? Could it be true, what she was saying? Kira loved him?_ He tried to open his eyes but his eyelids felt like they had lead weights attached to them. He tried to focus on what they were saying. A male voice – it had to be Trent – was trying to comfort her. Then Conner heard the worst thing in the world: Kira crying. He longed to take her in his arms and tell her he was ok, that everything was fine, but he couldn't move. His arms and legs were heavy and, try as he might, he couldn't even twitch his finger. Panic set in as his mind struggled to make his body obey its commands. _Calm down Conner_ he thought. _You're not getting anywhere by doing that. Concentrate, one thing at a time_. He felt Kira's soft lips brush his forehead and he heard her whispered plea. Conner tried to speak, to ask her not to leave, but his throat was dry and he couldn't even groan. He heard the door shut as they left.

Conner managed to calm himself down and concentrated hard on his right hand. There was a feeling of satisfaction and relief as he managed get his hand to curl up into a ball. Now, if he could open his eyes…

* * *

Kira sipped at her drink as she waited for Hayley to bring over their lunch. Ethan had joined her and Trent and the two of them were making light conversation, mainly about some computer game and the latest comic book. There were a lot of uncomfortable silences. It was Ethan that finally broached the subject they had been trying to avoid.

"So… how is he?" There was no need to ask who 'he' was.

"Still unconscious," Trent said, glancing at Kira.

"Have the doctors said anything?"

"No, only what we already know; Conner's in a comatosed state and he's still breathing through a tube."

Ethan gulped, "I might go and see him this afternoon…" He was cut off as Hayley arrived with their food.

"Dr. O wants to see you all this afternoon," she said in a low voice.

"What about?" Trent asked.

Hayley lowered her voice even further, "Emergency meeting. We've got a lot to work out."

"Like what?" Ethan said, snapping a little.

"Like how we're going to deal with Mesogog's monsters when we're one man down," Hayley shot back. She looked at the three rangers' faces, "What, you don't think that Mesogog is just going to sit back and wait for Conner to get better did you? Now is the perfect time for him to launch an attack, and we have to be prepared – no matter what our personal feelings are." Those last words were aimed at Kira.

"Don't worry about me," Kira managed to say in a strangled voice, "I'm willing to fight whatever Mesogog throws at us, with or without Conner being at our side."

Hayley nodded, "Good girl. You guys eat up and make your way to Dr. O's. I'll meet you there."

* * *

Daylight finally flooded into Conner's world of darkness as he forced his eyes open. The room was very bright and very white – definitely a hospital. He squinted against the painful brightness until his eyes adjusted. Now that he was awake he could feel the tube that was supposed to be helping him breathe down his throat, and retched. He began to choke, and that made him panic when he found he couldn't breathe. Conner sat up and tried to fight the foreign object in his airway. His struggles set off an alarm and a nurse hurried in.

"Shh," she said, putting a hand on his chest and pushing him firmly back down. "Calm down, relax."

Conner tried to, but all he could think about was that he couldn't breathe. The nurse removed the tube and replaced it with an oxygen mask before going out to get a doctor.

A few minutes later the door opened again and a doctor entered, followed by his mother and father. Joy and disbelief was clear on their faces.

"Conner?" his mother whispered.

* * *

Ethan, Trent and Kira soon found themselves in the Dino Lab, discussing with Dr. O the best thing to do if or, more correctly, when Mesogog attacked.

"Surely it isn't any different from what you were going to do after you _sacked_ Conner," Kira said, a slight accusing undertone in her voice.

Dr. O looked at his hands, "I 'sacked' Conner without really thinking of the consequences," he admitted.

"We'll just carry on fighting with the four of us until Conner's ready to fight," Ethan said, as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

Hayley and Dr. O exchanged glances. How were they to explain that Conner might not regain consciousness to three scared teenagers? "The thing is…" Dr. O began, but was cut off by a shrill ringing from his house above. "I'd better answer that," he said with a sigh and made his way upstairs.

The others left down below could only make out snatches of conversation as Dr. O talked to the person on the phone, "Yes… I understand… Yes, I'll let them know… Thank you for calling me… Goodbye."

They waited expectantly as Dr. O came back down the stairs with an unreadable expression on his face. "That was Mr McKnight on the phone from the hospital," Dr. O began.

"Is Conner ok? He hasn't…" Fear made Kira's voice catch in her throat.

"No he hasn't," Dr. O reassured her. "He actually called to say Conner's awake and he wants to see us."


	10. Talking Things Through

I'm back! Wow, have just come off a high ropes course: 4 meters up doing all aorts of crazy stuff! Anyway, you won't believe the trouble I've had, not only with this chapter but with the computer! Both are sorted out now so i can post! I finally managed to write this chapter on holiday one night in darkness 'cos I couldn't turn on the light so I had great fun deciphering my scrawl when I came to type it up! After doing some serious editing I'm happy with this chapter - or as happy as any writer can be. it's not perfect, but then neither am I!

Shoutouts go to: **Anakin's Girl 4eva**: You really cried? Sorry for leaving it for so long - events outside of my control I'm afraid! **Sreym**: Yes I went to Paris! It's lovely. Everyone should go! **Ghostwriter**: Hope the wait was worth it this time! **princess moon shadow**: I'm not in the army yet! Just got my exam results... **XRachX**: Thanks, as always I love hearing from you!

And to anyone else - you know who you are and thanks for the input! This story is almost over I'm sad to say butI hope you like this chapter. Enough from me, read, enjoy and as always: leave a little review to tell me what you think! Here's chapter 10...

* * *

**Talking Things Through**

"Hey," Conner croaked at them from his bed as they entered the room. Hayley was needed at the Cyberspace so she promised she'd drop in later instead.

"Hey bro, how are you?" Ethan said.

"Awake," he replied with a grin.

"Yeah, it's good to see you."

There was silence. The four of them stood awkwardly around Conner's bed. None of them really knew what to say.

It was Conner who made the first move. "I'm really sorry, for all the things I've done and said to you all. I've been horrible and it's inexcusable. I don't know if you can ever forgive me. I've been an ass."

"Well you said it," Ethan grinned.

"You were going through a bad time," Dr. O said with a shrug. "We should have known something was wrong and tried to help. Instead all we did was shout and scream and probably make things worse for you."

"Why should you have known something was wrong?" Conner countered him. "I didn't confide in you, which I should have done. I risked the whole team so you were justified in sacking me." He was being careful with the terminology in case a nurse or a doctor walked in.

"Even so…" Dr. O was swiftly cut off by Conner.

"As I said it was inexcusable and I'm sorry."

"It's in the past now," Trent spoke for the first time. "Let's leave it there. I mean you almost kille… _died_," he quickly corrected himself, "But you're ok now so let's put this behind us."

Trent's slip of the tongue wasn't lost on Conner, "You guys know I didn't mean to try to…" he paused.

"To kill yourself?" Ethan finished for him.

"How do you justify taking a whole bottle of paracetamol then if you weren't trying to kill yourself?" Trent asked with a quizzical expression on his face.

"I had a headache…" Conner tried to explain himself.

Dr. O looked at him sharply, before beginning to laugh. It was a relieved sort of laughter more than anything, the type of laughter normally heard after a particularly hard battle where it had really been a 'life or death' situation. It was also contagious and soon the others saw the funny side and joined in.

"So we're alright then?" Conner asked once the laughter had subsided.

Dr. O nodded, "On the condition that you never do anything so stupid again."

"I promise." Conner said seriously. "I never wanted to cause trouble, and I really am sorry. I'm going to get help; I know I have to sort myself out."

"But you know bro that we're here to help you," Ethan said. "If you ever need to talk, talk to us. Don't keep it bottled up 'til you explode ok?"

Conner smiled, "Ok."

Kira hadn't said anything during this exchange, and Trent sensed her need to talk to Conner alone. Things had to be said, and not in front of the rest of the team.

"Uh, Dr. O, didn't Hayley say she needed some help down at the Cyberspace?" he said, hoping that Dr. O would pick up on it.

Trent needn't have worried; Dr. O knew exactly what he meant. "Yeah, she wanted you and Ethan to help her move some boxes or something. Come on, I'll give you a lift."

"But what about Kira…. oh," Ethan said, a little slow on the uptake but was reminded by a sharp dig in the ribs from Trent. "Yeah, if you're ok bro."

If Conner had noticed anything odd about the exchange he didn't let it show. "I'm fine, you go and help Hayley. I'll see you later."

The others said their goodbyes and soon it was just Conner and Kira alone in the room. Kira moved closer to the bed, but nothing was said.

"Well this is awkward," Conner croaked, his throat still sore from the tube.

She smiled at him, "How do you feel?" she asked seriously.

"Awful," he replied.

"And so you should. You had me really worried Conner. Promise you're never going to do something so stupid again. You should have known alcohol and medicine don't mix."

"I know," Conner said lightly, but there was something in his tone that made Kira think.

"What do you mean you know? If you knew then why did you do it? Unless…" she gave him a suspicious look. "Was it an accident?"

Conner looked away, "I don't know."

"Of course you must know; you did it."

Conner shook his head, "Kira I was in such a mess that I wasn't thinking straight. It might have been an accident. All I know is that I was in so deep and couldn't see a way out. I'd been suspended, I'd hurt my friends, nearly got you killed and I was drunk. Who's to say I didn't do it on purpose? I can't really remember. But maybe I did want to end it all. Everything in my life was going wrong. My parents were getting divorced; I'd lost the respect of my teammates and lost…" he stopped as he realised what he was saying.

"And lost what else?" Kira asked quietly, stunned by what Conner had said.

"I'd lost any chance I had with you," he replied, meeting her eyes.

Kira was speechless. She tried to think of something to say but her mind was a sudden blank. Silence fell in the room.

Finally Conner spoke, "I heard what you said to Trent." She looked at him sharply. "I didn't mean to overhear you but I didn't really have a choice. I tried to speak or move or something to let you know but I couldn't. I'm sorry." Kira just stared at him. Conner took a deep breath, it was now or never, "I wanted to know if you, well, if you meant it. What you said, that you, you…" he couldn't finish and he couldn't look at Kira.

A hand lifted his chin and he stared into her hazel eyes, "Love you? I meant every word," she said gently. Then suddenly she began to cry, "I didn't realise it 'til you were gone. I wanted to tell you so badly but you were in a coma. I didn't think you were going to wake up. I was going to lose you before I could say I was sorry for all the nasty things I said because I didn't really mean them Conner, I swear. I thought you were going to die thinking I hated you and…"

"Shh," Conner said putting a finger to her lips. "It's ok, I'm awake. Didn't you think I could pull through?"

"I knew you could Conner, but I wasn't sure if you wanted to. I mean, we all thought you really had tried to, to kill yourself and if you had then you wouldn't want to wake up." Kira whispered.

Conner was silent, "I'd never have left you Kira," he said at last. "Whether you hated me or not, I'd never have left you."

She smiled through her tears, "I'm glad."

"Well you don't know what you've got yourself into then," Conner said with a grin and brushed her tears away with his fingers. "So do you think there's a chance of us then?"

Kira was quiet, "I don't know. I mean, we've got so much going on, what with Mesogog and being rangers and everything. I don't know if we can survive all that, and then there's you."

"What about me?"

"You've got a problem Conner."

He sighed, "I know and I'm going to get it sorted. Forget about that. I love you Kira, and I would really like us to give things a chance, but if you don't want to then that's fine. But I'll be waiting if ever you do want to have a go at us."

"I love you too. At least, I think I do. Maybe we could take things slowly. With us being rangers I don't know if it's sensible…"

"Who cares about it being sensible?" Conner exclaimed. Then he said, more quietly, "We both have strong feelings for one another right?" She nodded and he sighed, "Well how about we wait then? And when I'm better, and when Mesogog's gone, if we still feel strongly about one another then we can try."

Kira nodded, then suddenly said, "No. I'm not going to let some franken-lizard dictate my love life. He messes around with my life enough as it is. If we want to date then I think we should. How about it Conner?"

He grinned, "You and me against the world huh? Ok then."

They just stared at each other. Was that it? Were they dating now? The answer was clearly 'yes' as Conner reached out and pulled Kira down for a kiss.

Things were looking up!


	11. Red Returns

Well everyone, this is it. The final chapter. But before people say anything about the way I've ended this I want to say something: I have never been in rehab so I have absolutelty no idea what it's like and instead of trying to write about Conner's experiences there (which would have been very badly written and inaccurate) I've done it this way. I hope you guys like the way I've ended this and that it has done the story justice!

Final shoutouts to: **Anakin's Girl 4eva** - Glad the tears have stopped! Thank you for that lovely review and yes, I am jealous of Kira too. James Napier is HOT! **princess moon shadow** - Nope, I'm still here. Thank you for all your reviews. **Jnr Cpl Scarlett **-Me and my twists? Hee hee, hope you like the ending. **Syrem** - Glad you liked the Conner/Kira talk - took me ages to get right! **XRachX** - A massive thank you for all you reviews. Thank you for sticking with me from the start and for your thought-provoking reviews. **Ukume** - An annoying little someone, hmm sounds like a little sister problem! **MzDany** - Thanks for all your lovely reviews. **haydock14** - As you will see, Eric doesn't appear in person but he's no quite forgotten about! Last thank-you's to: **lil sweetie, Gear's Girl, tinaelin27, LJstagflower4e, NinjaStorm4Life, andGhostwriter.** And to everyone else who has reviewed, I do appreciate them so much!

Oh a a quick message to all fans of my old fanfic Wordless - the sequal is almost ready for posting!

Well that's it from me.You know the drill - read, enjoy and reveiw!

The Real Vampire

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**Red Returns**

"Home again son," David said as the red mustang pulled into the drive. He was sitting in the passengers seat, letting Conner drive. It had been six weeks since Conner had been discharged from hospital, and five weeks since he had gone to a rehab centre in Angel Grove, run by a certain Zack Taylor, an old friend of Tommy's and, as Conner now knew, an ex-ranger.

It had been hard, much harder than Conner had imagined, giving up the alcohol. He had known he was in too deep, but had no idea just how far into the bottle he'd sunk. Five weeks of what had to start with been hell, a necessary hell. It had got easier, and now he'd been given a clean bill of health and was home.

It felt weird, walking into his room after being away for so long. In three days he'd have to face school and all his friends again. He hadn't seen many since the 'accident', as he referred to it, and none since in the five weeks he was in rehab. That had made him think. Kira had called him almost every night and the others – even Trent – had phoned in at least once a week to see how he was and fill him in with Mesogog's latest (failed) attempts at world take-over. The team, one man down, had been working over time but they had managed.

But Conner hadn't seen anyone in all the time he'd been away; visitors were strictly controlled and visiting hours were mainly when his parents were at work and his friends at school. Maybe it had been easier that way. They hadn't seen him when he'd been at his worst, about two weeks into rehab. Conner shuddered; he'd been awful. And on the plus side as well, his parents were getting marriage counselling and things were improving. They knew it didn't always work, but they were giving it a good shot.

Even Eric had phoned a couple of times, but the conversations had been stuttered and uncomfortable, and so not very long. But the fact that he had called at all was the main thing. The twins hadn't parted on good terms the last time they had seen one another, a couple of weeks after Eric had joined the Ninja school in Blue Bay, and had had no contact with each other since. Eric hated the arguments and had left. Conner had stayed. It made Conner wonder who had done the right thing. He used to think it was him, but after what had happened he wasn't so sure. Hopefully things would get better now.

Conner unpacked slowly; glad to be home. Two months ago he would rather have been anywhere else, but a lot had happened since then. A lot had changed.

He smiled as he thought of Kira. Not everything had been bad. They were taking things slowly, one day at a time. Now he was back he hoped they could move on.

Once he had finished putting his stuff away he went down stairs. "Where are you going?" Lisa cornered him as he opened the front door, "You just got home…"

Conner kissed his mum on her cheek, "I know but I want to see Kira. I'll be back for dinner."

His mum smiled; the mention of Kira had silenced all her objections, as Conner knew it would. "Ok, dinner's at seven – Kira's more than welcome."

Conner nodded and jumped into his mustang. Instead of driving to Dr. O's, where he knew they'd all be at this time of the day, an idea came to him and he grinned as he drove to Reefside museum and parked near the woods. Making his way through the trees he found one of the old caves and stumbled along until he came across the t-rex skeleton embedded in the wall. He smiled as he remembered the first time he'd seen it – the start of a hell-raising year. Voices could be heard faintly from the other side of the rock wall. Taking a deep breath, Conner pulled the jaw of the skull down and flung himself into the shadows to the side as the door opened. The voices stopped instantly and it was all Conner could do to keep from giggling as he imagined the looks of puzzlement on his friends' faces.

There was a whispered conversation and Conner tensed himself as footsteps signalled someone was walking towards the door.

A person walked out of the room into the cave. _Kira_. She looked around, a frown creasing her face. As she turned to face Conner's hiding place he pounced.

Kira shrieked as a figure lunged at her from the shadows, knocking her to the ground. She could hear the startled yells of the others, but was oblivious as she stared up into two hazel eyes.

"Conner?" Kira could hardly believe it.

He grinned and helped her to her feet. "Surprised?"

"You could say that," she replied, slightly breathless as he pulled her close. Conner smiled and kissed her.

"Hem hem," Dr. O's cough caused them to pull apart, now looking embarrassed.

"Hi guys," Conner said awkwardly.

"Hey bro, you never told us you were getting out," Ethan said, before grabbing Conner in a hug. "Great to see you."

Conner grinned, "I thought I'd surprise you."

"You certainly did that," Hayley smiled and hugged him too, "Don't do it again," she whispered in his ear and Conner wasn't sure is she meant surprising them all or drinking.

He swallowed, "I won't." Hayley nodded and drew back.

Trent stood with his arms crossed and just looked at Conner. The two of them had never really been friends and it had been no secret that Trent had liked Kira. There was an uneasy silence then Trent smiled and unfolded his arms. "Good to have you back," he said and held out his hand.

Conner grasped it warmly, "Good to be back," he said, returning the smile.

Dr. O stepped forward, "I think this belongs to you," he said, holding out an object.

Conner stared at it for a second – his morpher. With a tentative hand he reached out and took it back. He held it for a minute before strapping it onto his wrist where it belonged.

"Welcome back," Dr. O said with a slight smile.

The reunion was cut off sharply by a beep from the computer. Mesogog, true to form and annoying timing, had sent another monster down to earth.

Without realising they were doing it, all their eyes turned to Conner. He smiled grimly, "Let's do it. Ready?" he asked as the others took up their familiar positions behind him.

"Ready" came the replies.

Cries of "Dino Thunder Power Up" and "White Ranger Drago Power" followed.

As they prepared to meet Mesogog's latest protégée Conner gripped his tyrannostaff and grinned under his helmet – yes, red had returned!

The End.


End file.
